NEW ZEALAND CRICKET TEAM

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLIII, Issue 20896, 27 November 1937, Page 16

NEW ZEALAND CRICKET TEAM

TOM LOWRY’S PART Tom Lowry, manager of the New Zealand cricket team, will go down in history as a man who played a very big part in New Zealand's entry into the sphere of international cricket. Member of a noted New Zealand sporting family—his lather owned among other horses, the famous Desert Gold—he went to Cambridge University soon after the war, and gained his blue, being captain in 1924. He also played for Somerset in county cricket, and made his name as a vigorous batsman and a good wicketkeeper. Returning to New Zealand at the end of his university career, he became captain of the first New Zealand team to visit England, thus playing the part that Dave Gregory played In Australian cricket. That was in 1927, and although the team did not set the Thames on fire Lowry himself had quite a successful tour, scoring 1277 runs in the first-class games at an average of 38, and being third in the list. He also captained the second team, in 1931, when he was fourth in the batting with 1290 runs at 31 an innings. The team now playing here is the third that has gone to England, and Lowry was manager of it, and also an emergency player. He has thus been associated with each of the first three New Zealand teams to visit England. He was also a member of the team that visited Australia In 1925-26, and in the match against South Australia made a score of 123.

Lowry’s interest in cricket goes beyond the casual playing part, for one of his sisters is the wife of Percy Chapman, England’s former captain, and another is married to Dr Reg. Bettington, who has played for Cambridge University, Middlesex and New South Wales, has captained New South Wales teams, and is one of the leading golfers of that State. Thus there are three captains of first class cricket teams in the family.